Cap.



.I. l. BENJAMIN.

CAP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5 1914.

Patented July 6, 1915.

INVENTOR WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CD -HAlSHINGTON, n, c

JAMES I. BENJAMIN, OF NEW YORK, 11'. Y.

GAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6,1915.

Application filed August 5, 1914. Serial No. 855,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAwns I. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Caps, of which the following description, in conjunction with the appended drawing, is a specification.

My invention relates in general to apparel caps and particularly relates to the reinforcing frame used for forming the support of the band and flare in military and similar caps.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple light weighted and readily constructed frame possessing a rigidity suflicient to resist crushing strains incidental to the use of articles of this character and formed of the least possible amount of woven material.

It is among the other objects of the invention to provide an open work frame capable of being collapsed to have the different covers positioned thereon, offering a light sanitary frame which may be easily blocked to shape and which will retain its shape when so blocked.

I attain these objects broadly by forming the frame of a one piece woven cane having the usual vertical strands reduced in number and the frame reinforced against angularly disposed strains by strands vertically inclined at an angle to the vertical strands, but with the strands spaced apart from top to bottom of the frame, the greatest possible distance to provide a light frame with ventilating spaces of the largest possible size and yet to place the strands sufficiently close together to withstand distorting strains. It is preferable to arrange the angularly disposed strands in spaced apart pairs and to additionally reinforce the band by means of horizontally disposed strands.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of device embodying my invention, and the invention also consists in certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates a side character. The frame is formed of one a piece formed into circular shape by overlapping the ends thereof and suitably fastening the same together. The lower edge is suitably bound as by means of a tape 3 and the upper edge is similarly bound by a tape 4 which latter binding preferably in closes a resilient reinforcing non-rusting member of any suitable material, such as whale-bone 4 The frame includes a flat band 5. of substantially uniform height and a funnel shaped flare 6. outwardly curved to form the same slightly concaved in vertical cross-section. The frameis made of strips of material preferably resilient, such as the cane material, used, in forming cane seats for chairs. The material is so cut and arranged in the cap that there is a plurality of vertically extending spaced apart strands 7 from top to bottom of the frame. A plurality of diagonally extending sets of strands 8 with certain sets thereof extending substantially at right angles to certain other sets thereof and all of said sets extending obliquely to the vertically extendingstrands 7 are mutually interweaved to form ventilating spaces or openings 9 of material area in both the band and flare. This construction is entirely suflicient to withstand strains on the flare but it is desirable to additionally reinforce the band and for this purpose a plurality of spaced. apart horizontally disposed strands 10 extend substantially at right angles to the vertical strands 7 and are interweaved therewith. The diagonal sets of strands 8 are preferably arranged in sets of pairs with the strands disposed side by side and forming an acute angle with both the vertical strands 7 and the circumferentially extending strands 10.

By means of a frame of this construction there is provided a very light support in which the strands are so disposed that the device posseses suflicient rigidity to withstand erushing strains incidental to articles of this character and imposed thereon at different angles. At the same time the strands are spaced to provide for relatively large ventilating openings. Should pressure be directed to the cap vertically it Will be resisted by the vertical strands and should this pressure be at an angle to the vertical as is usual with such articles the diagonally extending pairs of strands will resist this pressure and distribute the same in straight lines over the entire frame from top to bottom thereof. This frame may be readily infolded to fit within the covering of the caps but this infolding in no way effects the normal shape of the frame which readily springs back into position to distend the cap and stretch the top thereof between the whale-bone reinforced binding at the top. The frame is provided with ventilating spaces of material area not only in the flare but also in the band where they are particularly needed especially adjacent the sweat band. In providing for these large ventilating openings, however, it has not been necessary to change the natural disposition of the strands to withstand the strains on the frame.

In general by the selection of the particular weave illustrated it is possible to provide an extremely light inexpensive and comfortable cap, with a pleasing design arranged to retain its shape under hard usage.

The whale-bone reinforced band t provides for a stiffening at the crown of the cap which is non-rusting and the covering tape protects the whale-bone and at the same time facilitates the insertion of the cover 2 and assists in uniting the upper ends of the vertically extending strands.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a tubular frame comprising strands interwoven with each other to form an open work structure having ventilating openings extending therethrough, certain of said strands extending vertically from top to bottom of the frame and substantially at right angles to the planes containing the top and bottom edges of the frame and spaced apart circumferentially thereof, certain other of said strands being arranged in spaced apart sets with each set extending from top to bottom of the band diagonally of said vertically extending strands and horizontally disposed strands extending circumferentially about the frame adj acent its lower portion and woven through the vertically extending strands substantially at right angles thereto.

In a device of the class described, a tubular frame, comprising a flat substantially cylindrical band, of a uniform height and a funnel shaped flare forming a combination of said band from the upper edge thereof, said frame being formed of interwoven strands with certain of said strands extending continuously through said band and through said curved flare from the bottom edge of the band to the top edge of the flare, certain of said continuous strands extending vertically and substantially at right angles to the planes containing the top and bottom edges of the frame and certain other of said strands intersecting the vertical strands at an acute angle thereto.

A reinforcing frame for caps comprising a one-piece open mesh structure comprising a band and a flare, said structure formed of a plurality of spaced apart ver tically extending strands and substantially at right angles to the planes containing the top and bottom edges of the frame, spaced apart diagonally extending sets of strands extending obliquely to the vertical strands and substantially at right angles to each other, and horizontally extending strands confined to the band whereby the band is reinforced additionally to the flare.

4-. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame formed of an open mesh cane structure and comprising a band and a flare continuous with each other, certain strands of said mesh being continuous from the bottom of the band to the top of the flare, the strands of said mesh being spaced apart so as to form ventilating openings of substantially uniform area in both the flare and band.

5. In a device of the class described, a supporting frame formed of an open mesh cane structure including vertically inclined strands continuous from the bottom to the top of said frame, a binding means for connecting the upper ends of said strands, and a whale-bone reinforcement inclosed by said binding meansand free to move therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES I. BENJAMIN. Witnesses Jnssn Dnnrrus, A. KA'rz.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

